This project is not yet completed because of the huge cost overruns incurred from NorthStar. We are currently $23,000 over the contracted price and we estimate that we will probably spend an additional $8,000, with us doing the labor ourselves. This does not include six-and-a-half months of motel expenses and ten months of storage costs for our furniture.

The timely completion of this project by NorthStar never appeared to be of much importance to the General Contractor. We were led to believe on several verbal conversations with the salesman that the house would be ready to move in to in 90 days. She always refused to give us a due date. When we fired Barbara Robbins we were at 261 days.

1) Barbara Robbins ceased to do work on this project in early May 2001. She told one of her employees that she would force us to fire her since she wasn't going to do anymore work on this project, which she did not. She deliberately delayed this project in late December or early January per this employee. She did everything in her power to delay this project.
2) Deviated from approved plans without owner's approval on the following items:
	a: Placed five foot sliding door in basement when plans called for six foot door.
	b: Made bedroom #3 width four feet smaller. It is now 7' 10' in width. Refuses to negotiate a solution to this problem.
	c: Did not secure modular home to foundation. We had to have this engineered and submitted on a change order for the building permit.
	d: Placed two foundation buttresses within basement without talking to us.
	e: Did not engineer deck and apply for permit per the contract between parties causing us to have deck engineered and have a change order issued to the building permit.
	f: Omitted two windows from home. One in Dining room and one in Living room. We did reach a solution to this problem.
	g: Staircase designed does not work because of poor communication between engineer and General Contractor. We had to have stairs re-engineered because of this failure.
	h: Did not review house order and plans with us before submitting to factory.
	i: Added extra window to the garage when homeowner wanted only one window.
	j: Did not inspect home to see if options ordered were delivered by manufacture.
	k: Will not order oprions paid for by us from factory.
	l: Took carpet from home and never gave us full compensation. We have not resolved this issue for over six months.
3) Submitted engineering plans to building department without stairs between basement and first floor about September 20, 2000. County rejected this plan (no stairs). New engineering report issued October 13 with stairs. County wanted additional information on stairs. Barbara had to get letter from engineer with revised stair plans. This letter is dated October 24, 2000. (More than two months wasted on a 90 day project)
4) No stairs for access to front door. No concrete pads installed at doors in lower level.
5) Caused additional expenses to us of $600.00 when temporary power not provided to subcontractor as promised. We had power established from IREA to building site in early November.
6) Did not ensure subcontractor deviate from septic permit design and instructions of engineer. Engineer stated that if rock is encountered to stop and call engineer.
7) Could not find a subcontractor to build stairs between two levels of house. She insisted that the stairs would work the way she had them designed. We had two separate carpenters tell us they would not work as designed. They, however, came up with designs that would work.
8) Did not inspect the work of most subcontractors. When we complained that the pre-plumbing work in the basement for the bathroom was not where we wanted it, she insisted we pay $200.00 for a change order. We again settled for something we did not want. Another example is this cedar siding installed to house without flashing above some windows and doors. Told us to resolve issue with subcontractor.
9) Has not sent out interior drywall subcontractor to complete his work as promised. She last said she would send him to our home on June 5, 2001.
10) Project has taken too long with no valid reasons for exceeding 8 and a half months under her control. She would never give us a due date at any time in this project. From July 24, 2000 until we assumed this project ourselves on May 17, 2001.
11) After house placed on foundation the electrician and plumber were not called out until February 19. They should have been out at least five weeks earlier. Why the delay?
12) Poured concrete slab in basement on frozen ground on March 24. The floor developed a crack in it within days and we now have numerous cracks in within the slab. We had volunteered to get a portable gas heater to place in the basement. Barbara Robbins had stated that was her plan. She never provided any heat to basement. I don't know how she thinks that the ground would be able to thaw out without some source of heat other than the outside temperature.
13) Used an unlicensed sub-contractor in Teller County to install water lines and pressure tank.
14) Allowed subcontractor to withdraw from job before job completed. The items not completed we were given a credit. However, the credit never approached the actual costs of other subcontractors to complete the foundation work. She failed to verify that the credit would cover actual expenses to finish the job. She doesn't care enough because it's not her money. She also refused to give us an invoice.
15) This is a modular home placed on a walkout basement. She didn't have to construct the home, just order it, which she did not do correctly. There are no valid reasons for this contractor to take over eight months to try to complete this project and still not be able to give us a due date before we fired her.